Ruqayyah Snyder
Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions, died on November 29, 1780, at the age of 63 in her hometown of Vienna. She was the Holy Roman Empress of the Habsburg Dynasty from 1740 until her death, and the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, and many other kingdoms and duchies. She was the daughter of Charles VI, and the wife of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I, and mother of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Death | 29 November 1780 |
| Age | 63 |
| Place of Death | Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Austria |
| Cause of Death | Pneumonia |
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What You'll Learn
Maria Theresa's death and the War of the Bavarian Succession
Maria Theresa, the only female ruler of the House of Habsburg, died on November 29, 1780, of pneumonia in her hometown of Vienna. She was 63.
Maria Theresa's death marked the end of the House of Habsburg, which was replaced by the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. Her son, Joseph II, succeeded her as the Holy Roman Emperor. Joseph II had already been a co-sovereign of the Habsburg dominions and became the sole ruler after his mother's death.
During her 40-year reign, Maria Theresa led Austria through three wars, including the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) and the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). The third and final war of her reign was the War of the Bavarian Succession (1778-1779), which was also the last war for her rival, King Frederick the Great of Prussia.
The War of the Bavarian Succession was sparked by a succession crisis in Bavaria. In 1777, Maximilian III Joseph, the Elector of Bavaria, died without leaving any children. This created a power vacuum, with ambitious men vying for control of his territories. One of these men was Joseph II, who sought to expand his family's influence in the German-speaking lands of Central Europe. He believed that acquiring German lands would strengthen the House of Habsburg-Lorraine's position in the Holy Roman Empire and secure their influence in Bohemia, Hungary, and Croatia.
Joseph II's attempts to claim Bavarian territory alarmed Frederick II of Prussia, as it threatened Prussian influence in German politics. However, neither Maria Theresa nor Frederick II wanted to pursue hostilities over the Bavarian succession crisis. They both believed that the conflict was not worth bloodshed and preferred to resolve the dispute through diplomacy. Despite their reluctance to engage in warfare, the War of the Bavarian Succession broke out and resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, primarily due to starvation and disease.
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Her burial site in Vienna
Maria Theresa, the only female ruler of the House of Habsburg, died on November 29, 1780, in her hometown of Vienna. She was buried in an ornate double sarcophagus, alongside her husband, Emperor Francis I, in the Imperial Crypt beneath the Capuchin monastery in Vienna. The crypt is the official resting place of the Habsburg line, with approximately 150 members of the family laid to rest there, including 12 emperors and 19 empresses and queens. The magnificent double sarcophagus of Maria Theresa and her husband is a work by Balthasar Ferdinand Moll, in contrast to the plain sarcophagus of her son, Joseph II.
The Imperial Crypt, also known as the Capuchin Crypt, is located under the Capuchin Church and is dedicated to the members of the former Austrian Habsburg dynasty. The church and monastery are situated in Vienna's old town and are surrounded by other important monuments and museums. The Capuchin Church houses the hearts of the Habsburgs in its Heart Crypt, which were buried there from 1654 to 1878. The monastery has been the site of many royal funerals, with the last Austrian empress, Zita, buried there in 1989.
The Maria Theresa Memorial is another important monument in Vienna that commemorates the empress. It stands on the Maria-Theresien-Platz between the Art History Museum and the Natural History Museum. The monument was unveiled in 1888 on the 171st birthday of the Empress and is surrounded by equestrian statues of four Field Marshals from her era. The memorial was designed by sculptor Kaspar von Zumbusch and architect Baron Karl von Hasenauer. It covers an area of 632 square meters and is 19.36 meters high, with a 6-meter-tall figure of the Empress at the top.
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Her husband, Francis I, and their children
Maria Theresa's husband, Francis I, was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1745 to 1765. Francis Stephen of Lorraine, as he was also known, married Maria Theresa in 1736. Their marriage was a love match. However, Maria Theresa was the de facto ruler of the nation, and she began styling herself as Holy Roman Empress in 1745. She was officially the empress consort.
Francis I and Maria Theresa had 16 children, with 11 daughters (10 of whom had the first name "Maria") and 5 sons. Their youngest daughter was Maria Antonia, better known by her French name, Marie Antoinette, who would go on to marry King Louis XVI of France. Maria Theresa's eldest son, Joseph II, became the Holy Roman Emperor and a co-regent of the House of Habsburg after his father's death. However, Maria Theresa allowed him only limited powers, and their relationship was difficult and full of conflict. Joseph II followed Enlightenment principles, which his mother, a devout Catholic, rejected as anti-Catholic.
Maria Theresa was devoted to her husband, and after his death, she dressed in mourning clothes until she died 15 years later. She became more reclusive and shifted her focus from attempting to regain Silesia to maintaining peace.
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Her father, Charles VI, and his death
Maria Theresa, the only female ruler of the House of Habsburg, was born on May 13, 1717, and died on November 29, 1780, at the age of 63. She was the Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. Maria Theresa's father, Charles VI, died on October 20, 1740, probably due to mushroom poisoning. Charles VI was the Holy Roman Emperor and spent his entire reign securing the Pragmatic Sanction, which placed his daughters ahead of his nieces in the line of succession.
Charles VI's efforts to secure the Pragmatic Sanction left Austria in a state of impoverishment. The treasury was bankrupt due to the recent Turkish war and the War of the Polish Succession, and the army was weakened and poorly trained. Charles ignored the advice of Prince Eugene of Savoy, who had urged him to focus on filling the treasury and strengthening the army rather than seeking the approval of fellow monarchs for the Pragmatic Sanction.
Upon Charles VI's death, his daughter Maria Theresa became the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy, and the War of the Austrian Succession broke out as various European nations coveted parts of the Habsburg domains. Within months of Charles VI's death, Frederick II of Prussia invaded Silesia, a Habsburg province, initiating the War of the Austrian Succession. Maria Theresa successfully led Austria through this war and two others, managing to preserve most of the Habsburg territory despite facing militarily superior opponents.
Charles VI of Austria is distinct from Charles VI of France, also known as Charles VI the Mad or Charles VI the Well-Beloved. Charles VI of France was born in 1368 and reigned from 1380 until his death in 1422. He was known for his periodic fits of madness and remained largely a figurehead throughout his reign.
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Her impact on Austria's compulsory education
Maria Theresa, the Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, was born on May 13, 1717, and died on November 29, 1780, at the age of 63. She was the only female ruler in the House of Habsburg and the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, and many other territories.
Maria Theresa's impact on Austria's compulsory education was significant. She is known for her educational reforms, particularly the introduction of compulsory schooling for all children, which laid the foundation for a centralized education system. Here is a more detailed look at her impact on compulsory education in Austria:
Maria Theresa recognized the value of education for all and made it one of her priorities. She introduced compulsory schooling, requiring all children between the ages of six and twelve to attend school or receive a private education. This applied to both boys and girls, marking a significant shift from the previous system, where education was mostly limited to the higher classes and provided by religious orders.
Establishment of Public Schools:
Maria Theresa established the first network of public schools, providing access to education for a wider range of students. These schools offered a standardized curriculum, focusing on subjects like social responsibility, social discipline, work ethic, and the use of reason, rather than rote learning.
Multilingual Education:
Maria Theresa promoted multilingual education. Children were instructed first in their mother tongue and later in German. In bigger towns, schools taught German as a second language, while in villages, students were taught in their native language, such as Czech or German.
Curriculum and Discipline:
Maria Theresa was a strict disciplinarian, and this extended to the education system. She closely monitored the school reform and had high expectations for her own sixteen children's education. She controlled every aspect of their education, sending their tutors detailed instructions and criticizing their speech, behaviour, and posture.
Standardization and Centralization:
Maria Theresa's reforms standardized measurements and weights, and her introduction of compulsory education contributed to centralization. She also established new educational institutions, such as the Theresianum in Vienna, which educated the sons of nobles, and the Theresian Military Academy, a military school founded in Wiener Neustadt.
Enlightened Absolutism:
Maria Theresa's reforms were influenced by the spirit of enlightened absolutism, which valued rationalism and order. Her educational reforms, in particular, reflected this, as they aimed to meet the needs of an increasingly sophisticated and complex society and economy, requiring educated administrators, officers, diplomats, and specialists.
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Frequently asked questions
Maria Theresa of Austria died on November 29, 1780, at the age of 63.
She died in her hometown of Vienna, Austria, at the Hofburg Palace.
Maria Theresa was the Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. She was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg.
Maria Theresa was known for her progressive reforms, paving the way for compulsory education in the 18th century. She also led Austria through the War of the Austrian Succession, preserving most of the Habsburg territory.
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